Steely Dan,
the long-running collaboration between Fagen and Walter Becker, put out some
great albums in their time, but Fagen’s first solo effort actually outshines
the best of them. Fagen completely nails the loose concept that he puts forward
in the liner notes: “The songs on this album represent certain fantasies that
might have been entertained by a young man growing up in the remote suburbs of
a northeastern city during the late fifties and early sixties, i.e., one of my
general height, weight and build.” “Walk Between Raindrops” would have been a
great song for Sinatra – it was actually recorded by Mel Tormé – while “The
Goodbye Look” spins a wonderful tale of Caribbean political intrigue. Fagen
also does what for me is the definitive version of the Leiber-Stoller classic “Ruby
Baby”, eclipsing the fine earlier recordings by the Drifters and Dion.
Favorite
tracks:
The Goodbye
Look
Ruby Baby
New Frontier
I.G.Y.
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